Katy Perry Would Make Some Changes To I Kissed A Girl If She Was Releasing It Now

No one is immune to the occasional cringe, facepalm, or wave of embarrassment when thinking about things they did a decade ago — not even celebrities like Katy Perry. And while stars are regular people just like the rest of us, one could argue these flubs become even more disconcerting when you know millions of people witnessed them. The songs that musicians write and perform are certainly no exception to this rule. 

In a YouTube video feature for Glamour, the "American Idol" judge watched fan covers of some of her greatest hits, including "Unconditionally," "Roar," "Dark Horse," and, of course, her iconic power anthem, "Firework." But another song in the mix prompted some feelings of regret and self-reflection from Perry.

Not many people can say their first breakthrough track was also one of their most controversial, but Perry's certainly fits the bill. Released in 2008, and featured on her debut album, "One of the Boys," the single became an instant smash hit. However, if given the chance, Perry would change a few things.

In her interview with Glamour, Katy Perry made it clear that she was aware her first hit did not age well. "I think we really changed conversationally in the past ten years. We've come a long way. Sexuality wasn't as talked about back then, or any type of fluidity," Perry acknowledged. "If I had to write that song again, I probably would make an edit on it. Lyrically, it has a couple of stereotypes in it. Your mind changes so much in ten years, and you grow so much. You know, what's true for you can evolve." 

Perry still performs the song on tour, and fan videos have shown the pop star doing what appear to be staged falls during this track in particular (via YouTube). Hayley Williams, another mid-2000s superstar, released her own controversial track in 2007, "Misery Business." Though her band, Paramore, retired the song from performances, they've since brought it back.

Maybe Perry and Williams are playing to our nostalgia, or perhaps these songs are just too good to blackball them for their lyrics. Either way, Perry seems to have no problem talking about the nuances left out of her 2008 track, proving that she can laugh at herself and that we all can evolve while still having a good time listening to some of our favorite songs from our younger days.

Unless you've made a concerted effort to avoid all pop music over the last 20 years, there's a very good chance you know the hook to "I Kissed a Girl" quite well — cherry chapstick, I hope my boyfriend doesn't mind, the whole bit. It was just one of the thousands of sex-centric songs released in the early to mid-2000s, but Perry's was unique in that it blatantly described sexual fluidity in a way most other pop music of the time didn't.

When "I Kissed a Girl" was released, gay marriage wasn't protected under federal law. While some states allowed gay marriages, civil unions, and domestic partnerships in 2008, the Supreme Court wouldn't protect the LGBTQ+ community's right to marriage until seven years after Perry's hit song came out. Now, there are additional legal safeguards in place for LGBTQ+ rights, including the passage of the Respect for Marriage Act. 

Sexuality was still a taboo, racy subject in 2008, and "I Kissed a Girl" was arguably capitalizing on that. But it was hardly the first song, pop or otherwise, to reflect the unsavory ideals of our times. From minstrel songs of the early 20th century to questionable lyrics from '60s and '70s rockers that hint at pedophilia, there is a long line of wide releases that, if unleashed today, would not be received as well as they once were.